BHU’s faculty of arts bags Rs 8.2 crore Erasmus+ grant for religious tourism project; highest funding so far

Banaras Hindu University’s (BHU) Tourism Management Section of the Faculty of Arts has secured an Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) grant of €7,80,000 (approximately Rs 8.2 crore) from the European Union.

This is the first Erasmus grant awarded to the faculty of arts and the largest Erasmus funding received by BHU so far.

The €7,80,000 grant has been awarded for a three-year period from November 2025 to October 2028.

The project, titled “SacredTravels4Growth: Higher Education and Sustainable Growth through Religious Tourism,” brings together 16 partner institutions from eight countries, including Albania, India, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Moldova, Malta and South Africa. BHU and Karnataka University are the Indian partners in the consortium.

The project aims to strengthen higher education capacity in religious tourism, cultural heritage preservation, and sustainable regional development by facilitating international collaboration and knowledge exchange.

It will focus on sharing best practices from Europe and partner countries to promote responsible and sustainable tourism models, the university said.

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The BHU project team is led by Pravin Rana, with Shyju PJ, Jyoti Rohilla, and Priyanka Singh as key members. Administrative and financial oversight will be managed by BHU’s sponsored research and industrial consultancy cell (SRICC).

Leadership, global exposure and academic expansion

As part of the project, faculty members and students will benefit from international training workshops and study visits across multiple countries, expanding global academic networks and collaborative research opportunities.

Vice-chancellor Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi welcomed the achievement, calling it a major recognition for the Faculty of Arts.

Dean Sushma Ghildyal said the grant opens doors for new international collaborations and academic growth, reinforcing BHU’s commitment to global engagement and excellence.